When it comes to the Disneyland parks, Disneyland has the reputation for being best for little kids and Disney California Adventure the best for older kids and adults…but is it that simple? In this post I’m going to break down how we compare the two west coast Disney parks for small kids. I’ll start with the bottom line before looking at specific ride counts, theming, and talking more about evaluating this topic as your kids get older and, more importantly, taller. Let’s compare Disneyland and Disney California Adventure for small kids!
The Bottom Line
With most this vs. that posts I don’t like to spoil the ending because what makes the post worth writing in the first place is that the details matter. That’s true here (so, you know, don’t leave after this section), but there’s also one pretty bright line that sticks out when it comes to comparing Disneyland to Disney California Adventure for little kids—40 inches.
Both parks are great for kids of all ages and sizes, but if a kid is under 40 inches, Disneyland is very often going to be the better park for them. The gap in ride count below that mark is pretty substantial, and while you definitely could quibble (the situation brightens for Disney California Adventure even at 32 inches), Disneyland probably stands victorious for kids under 40 inches.
At and above 40 inches, it’s a much more complicated question. Even though its ride count can’t compete, Disney California Adventure is a much more complete full-day park for kids who are at least 40 inches tall, and that height requirement comes with two of the best rides in the parks (which may or may not be appropriate for your kid)—Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! and Radiator Springs Racers.
Like I said above, the analysis does matter a bit. I’ll cover several things in this post—like entertainment, the specific ride counts, characters, and theming. I hope you’ll read on to get a better sense of which park is better for your little one.
The Ride Numbers
Let’s start with my favorite table, also found in our complete guide to the height requirements at Disneyland, showing how many rides at each park have each height requirement:
There are a few key takeaways here. First, Disneyland has a lot more rides—34 vs. 18 at Disney California Adventure. Second, Disneyland has 3X as many rides without a height requirements—24 vs. 8. Kids are also getting more rides at 32, 35, and 38 inches at Disneyland, while at Disney California they’ll get two at 32 inches and then have to wait until they make it all the way to 40 inches. We’ll talk about that mark later, because it’s a very important one.
If your kids are below 40 inches, this is a tale of two very different parks. Of course there are a few rides in Disneyland without height requirements that might not be appropriate for all kids. Kids have a range of reactions to the dark rides, which can be “dark” in more ways than one. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is sometimes a little too intense. And I have yet to lock my now-“big kid” in the underwater tube that is Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. But 24 rides with no height requirements is going to provide more than enough positive experiences for a single day, and Disneyland is going to generally be the better park up until the height is met.
But I also want to briefly address the 32-inch height requirement at Disney California Adventure. Hitting that height brings two rides in Cars Land—Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. I don’t love them, but my kid does. So personally, I think that while under 32 inches you’re maybe in “is California Adventure ever worth taking any time away from Disneyland?” territory, once your kid gets to 32 inches you’re firmly in “how should I prioritize / split my time between these two parks?” territory.
What About Entertainment, Characters, and Anything Else?
At present, I don’t think either park offers any entertainment that will move the needle a ton for small kids. You should check the schedules for parades—these come and go and might make a difference for you. In terms of nighttime shows, you’re typically comparing Disneyland’s dual offering of Fantasmic and a projection show vs. Disney California Adventure’s World of Color. Either park a fabulous for nighttime entertainment.
Aside from that, there are things like Philharmagic and (debuting May 16, 2025) Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! Show at Disney California Adventure compared to Storytelling at Royal Theatre and Main Street Cinema at Disneyland.
As for characters, the big difference is going to be which characters you meet. Both parks have opportunities to meet Mickey Mouse, and the fab five usually make daily appearances at both, too. Beyond that, it just comes down to which lands and IP feature in the parks. Disneyland has more princesses, Star Wars, and Winnie the Pooh. Disney California Adventure has more Pixar and Marvel.
A final area of interest is playgrounds. Disneyland has Tom Sawyer’s Island and the great playground in Toontown. Disney California Adventure has only the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, which is most fun for kids who have hit some height requirements, as several activities have height requirements of 32 and 42 inches.
This brings us to a turning point…
At 40 Inches, Things Get Interesting
Disneyland is probably the better park for almost all kids until they get to 40 inches. But things get interesting once kids hit that 40-inch mark. That mark comes with ten new rides, five at each park. At Disneyland:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Space Mountain
Star Tours — The Adventures Continue
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
and at Disney California Adventure:
Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT!
Jumpin’ Jellyfish
Radiator Springs Racers
Silly Symphony Swings
Soarin’
What strikes me about those two lists is you could make the case that all five 40-inch rides at Disney California Adventure are better for young kids than all five 40-inch rides at Disneyland. Of course there’s a strong case that Mission: BREAKOUT! is more intense than a few rides on that Disneyland list, but it’s also a ton of fun.
A kid right at 40 inches very well might be willing to ride four of the 40-inch rides at Disney California Adventure (and maybe none at Disneyland). Disneyland would still win easily by pure count, but 14 rides at Disney California Adventure is definitely enough to fill a day.
This was what surprised me most about our trip where Zoe had just hit 40 inches. Disney California Adventure was an absolute delight, and we spent a ton of time there. We took multiple rides in a row on Jumpin’ Jellyfish and Silly Symphony Swings.
It’s notable that around 40 inches is probably when your kids will start to appreciate the differences between the theming of the two parks more. They’ve probably got some favorite movies and characters. Are they into princesses or Pixar? Star Wars or Marvel? Are their jaws more likely to drop in Cars Land or Toontown?
And finally, it’s worth touching on the 42-inch height requirement. This comes with one ride at Disneyland—Matterhorn Bobsleds—and two at Disney California Adventure—Goofy’s Sky School and Grizzly River Run. I don’t think any of those are gamechangers, but when you add in that 42 inches also gives access to the rock wall and zip line at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. All of this adds up to make Disney California Adventure a bona fide adventure at 42 inches.
All Your Other Disneyland Planning Questions Answered
Don’t be overwhelmed by Disneyland planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you’ll not only be an expert, but you’ll save big $$$ along the way.
Just starting out? Check out our Disneyland Planning Guide. When it comes to hotels, we’ve got reviews of all three Disney hotels: Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and Disney’s Pixar Place Hotel. As for tickets, check out where to find discount Disneyland tickets.
Know what to ride with our: Disneyland Rides Guide and Disney California Adventure Rides Guide. And just as important, know how to get on the best rides without the wait with our Disneyland Lightning Lane Strategy! For the complete guides to a day at the park, we have a One Day Disneyland Itinerary and a One Day Disney California Adventure Itinerary.
We always recommend arriving at the parks early. If you can get access to Early Entry at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, you’ll have the most time in the parks. Even without those bonus hours, you’ll need to know Rope Drop Strategy at Disneyland and Rope Drop Strategy at Disney California Adventure.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you’re interested in saving, there’s no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.